Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Ambient Particulate Concentration Near A Coal Storage Pile, Jennifer Wittenburg

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Fugitive dust sources such as aggregate storage piles contribute significantly to the total suspended particulate levels in the ambient air. Particulate levels are monitored and regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency to protect public health and welfare. This study monitored particulate concentrations in the ambient air near a coal storage pile. Air samplers and weather stations were placed at two locations, one to the north of the pile and one to the south of the pile, and were used to collect particulate and weather related data.

The data were analyzed to determine the origin of the particulate and to identify …

Organized Gaming And Its Effect On Collegiate Academics, Mark Cochran

Honors Program Theses

With the emergence of gaming as an ever more popular pass time, and professional level eSports gaining steam, collegiate student organizations are beginning to reflect this change as well. This study of 166 college students from across the United States addresses the rise of gaming organizations and their subsequent effects of collegiate academics, namely grade point averages (GPA). The results suggest that participation in an organization dedicated to gaming results in a slightly lower GPA than those involved in other organizations, but still higher than average pointing towards factors of involvement still benefiting students. An important factor to note is …

Biotech Fever: Market Overreaction To Fda Clinical Trials, Ethan J. Hugstad

Honors Program Theses

Picture this: someone buys the stock of a firm that is about to announce the results of a drug’s FDA clinical trial the next day. They go to bed that night, imagining the potential of their newly owned business to finally cure a disease that has impacted so many families. They wake up the next morning to find that the firm has lost half of its market value because the drug failed. This is the stark reality that many small investors face: the unpredictability of price movements in response to nonfinancial information being released to the public.

English Proficiency And Earnings Of U.S. Immigrants, Toni F. Moeller

Honors Program Theses

Every year thousands of immigrants come to the United States and look to join the labor force. Most of these immigrants have a first language that is not English. This study analyzes how wage income, business and farm income, and investment income are affected by English proficiency in 2004, 2009, and 2014. I use data from the American Community Survey and a log-linear econometric model to explore this relationship. I conclude that wage income and business and farm income had a positive relationship with English proficiency in 2004, 2009, and 2014 whereas investment income only had a significant positive relationship …

Gender Differences In Perceived Stigma Among Sexual Minorities And Their Related Health Practices, Sara Kay Richardson

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stigma, which is partially determined by social norms within specific cultures, can affect individuals in many ways such as direct negative treatment and discrimination as well as medical, social, and psychological disadvantages and problems. Lesbian women, gay men, bisexuals, and pansexuals have endured a long history of stigmatization in the United States (Herek, 1991). There is further evidence suggesting that bisexuals are especially susceptible to stigmatization, not only from heterosexuals (Herek, 2002), but from lesbian women and gay men as well (Ochs, 1996). I hypothesized that among sexual minorities men would report higher levels of perceived stigma than would women, …

Mental Health Literacy: The Knowledge Of Mental Health Literacy And Help-Seeking Attitudes Among Ncaa Division I Student-Athletes And Non-Athletes, Danielle E. Schuck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Context: By the age of 24 years, diagnosable mental disorders begin to develop in one out of four Americans (Kaier et al., 2015). Young people also have deficits in knowledge about mental health literacy. This deficiency is one reason why individuals lack the ability to recognize mental illness and the appropriate measures needed to take to seek professional help (Kelly et al., 2007). This study investigates the mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes of NCAA Division I student-athletes and non-athletes. Objective: Investigate the knowledge of mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes of collegiate student-athletes and non-athletes. Design: Non-experimental, correlation and …

Genetics Unit Lesson Plan For The Next Generation Science Standards, Erin Hogan

Graduate Research Papers

In 2015, Iowa’s adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) compelled the Waterloo Community Schools to set a goal of complete alignment to those standards by the 2018-2019 school year. In order to prepare for this transition, I chose to focus my creative component on the development and implementation of a NGSS aligned unit on Genetics for a sophomore level biology course. The unit focused on the Performance Expectation (PE) HS-LS3-3: Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population and incorporated all three dimensions of the NGSS: Science and …

The Effects Of Mycorrhizal Inoculant And Micronutrients On Early Plant Establshment During A Tallgrass Prairie Reconstruction, Christopher L. Barber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Symbiotic relationships between mycorrhizal fungi and land plants are one of the most widespread examples of symbiosis on Earth yet there is still much to discover about their ecological impacts.

Prairie reconstructions are often done on highly disturbed sites such as reclaimed cropland, turf grass, and road rights-of-way. Disturbed soils often lack adequate quantities of both mycorrhizal fungi and micronutrients. I hypothesized that inoculated seeds with mycorrhizal spores or micronutrient seed treatments will aid in the early establishment of a tallgrass prairie.

To test this hypothesis four treatments (T1 control, T2 mycorrhizal, T3 micronutrient, and T4 mycorrhizal and micronutrient) were …

Study Of Low Dose Nitrite Stress On Human Mononuclear Cells: An In-Vitro Case-Control Study On Osteoarthritis, Junu Shrestha

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Nitrate, (NOR 3RP - P) is an oxidized form of nitrogen and it is an integral part of the nitrogen cycle in the natural environment. Nitrates are extensively used in agricultural practices as fertilizers, applied as either animal manures or derived slurries or as chemical fertilizers in the form of ammonium nitrate. Most of the toxicologically relevant nitrate enters the human body through consumption of vegetables, fruits, processed food products, and drinking water. In the ground water system, nitrates are a problematic and widespread contaminant, especially in agricultural areas such as the Midwest, South, and Northeastern U.S. Low-levels of nitrate …

Blood Coagulation Properties In Hibernating And Non-Hibernating American Bullfrogs (Lithobates Catesbeianus), Stephen Cain

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Activated partial thromboplastin times (APTT) and factor deficiency assays were performed on the plasma of twenty American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) to test for potential changes and regulation of the intrinsic coagulation pathway during and after hibernation. Bullfrogs (pre-hibernating n=4, hibernating n=6, post-hibernating n=10) were housed in 10 gallon aquariums filled with RO water and placed in a temperaturecontrolled room. Hibernation was gradually induced by decreasing the temperature of the room from 24 C to 3 C in increments of 3 C per week. Blood (6-8 ml) was collected from individual non-hibernating frogs, hibernating frogs and post-hibernating frogs in 0.105M sodium …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Religion And Forgiveness, Desislava S. Stoycheva

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Forgiveness has been found important for human social functioning within and across cultures. Empirical findings from the last four decades pointed to the role of forgiveness in improving physical, mental, and spiritual health. As a result, forgiveness practices have been extended into the fields of counseling psychology, education, and peace-making. Other studies suggest that religious commitment increases a person’s likelihood to forgive and that practicing forgiveness mediates the effect of religion on health. Schema Theory was used to interpret religious background or lack of religion as factors shaping specific mental structures. These mental structures could lead to different forgiveness schemata, …

Resilience In Undergraduate Students: The Relation Between Personality, Social Support, And Cortisol Levels, Elisheva Joy Havlik

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the current study was to investigate resilience in relation to personality, social support, and cortisol levels in response to a stress induction in a sample of 174 undergraduate students. It was hypothesized that resilience would be positively related to personality traits and perceived social support, and also would predict cortisol levels at baseline, reactivity to stress induction, and recovery after stress induction. Additionally, exploratory analyses investigated the moderating effects between variables to explain the process of resilience further. Participants completed self-report questionnaires (i.e. the CD-RISC, BFI, and the MPSS), provided saliva samples via a passive drool collection …

Landscape And Climate Drivers Of Harmful Algal Blooms In Iowa, Aaron Padilla

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Insuring the safety of our water for consumption and recreation is a crucial but extremely difficult and resource intensive activity of environmental protection agencies. One of the ways our water is at risk is through the increased frequency, and intensity of harmful algal blooms (HABs). When CyanoHABs occur, they can produce a toxic byproduct, most notably microcystin in freshwater, which can be harmful to humans and animals. Previous research has indicated these blooms are driven by increased eutrophication of water bodies, the excess loading of nutrients. In Iowa, the main driver of CyanoHABs in most watersheds is agricultural runoff, which …

Science Research And Engineering & Design Into Education, Amanda R. Schiller

Graduate Research Papers

The project I have chosen for my creative component is researching how to develop a curriculum integrating an Engineering and Design unit within a 7th Grade Science course that could focus on engaging students in Science research projects. The emphasis of this unit is on Engineering and Design or Engineering practices, which is addressed in the Iowa Core and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (Iowa Core Curriculum, 2008) and (Lead States, 2013). Science research and/or projects are based along the same idea as what science teachers distinguish as the scientific method. When conducting research, scientists use the scientific method …

The Effects Of Nutrient Resorption, Photosynthetic Rate, And Leaf Longevity On The Success Of Typha × Glauca, Clarissa Marie Ruiz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The hybrid cattail Typha × glauca is invasive in the Midwestern United States, and outcompetes wetland natives and its parent species, Typha angustifolia and Typha latifolia under high nutrient conditions. Typha × glauca’s large size and copious litter production are the main factors known to contribute to its success, although research is lacking on physiological processes that contribute to its nitrogen use efficiency.

Nitrogen resorption was investigated as a mechanism of dominance in Typha × glauca. Due to nitrogen resorption being a nutrient conservation strategy, nitrogen resorption should be high in areas of low nitrogen availability. Since nitrogen …

Reconstructing The Phylogeny And Characterizing The Patterns Of Molecular Evolution Of The Tetraploid Freshwater Suckers (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae), Zachary Evan Sperstad

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Catostomidae, colloquially known as the suckers, is a family of freshwater fish endemic to North America and Asia. This family is hypothesized to have evolved sometime before or during the Paleocene (56-66 Mya) from a single tetraploid ancestor, which is thought to be the product of a hybridization event between two closely related, diploid cypriniforms. Currently, there are 79 recognized, extant species, some of which are difficult to discriminate between in the field. Despite the numerous studies that have aimed to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this family, little consensus exists for the relationships of the subfamilies within the …

Depression And Anxiety In Current Middle Grade Fiction: Finding Quality, Authentic Portrayals For Use In Bibliotherapy, Tonia Sandersfeld-Miller

Graduate Research Papers

Young adults need a safe environment to learn about mental illness, and librarians must ensure that books being recommended authentically and realistically portray mental illness. The purpose of this study is to analyze the authenticity of fiction titles for middle school students that include content related to depression and anxiety to support recommendations to school counselors for bibliotherapy. The research questions this study sought to address included the following: Do the plots and characters of young adult novels written for middle school students realistically and authentically portray mental illness, and what criteria can be used to determine a novel's quality …

Sown Forb Performance In Cp42 Fields, Nathan Theel, Mark Sherrard

Undergraduate Student Work

CP42 is a general conservation practice that attempts to establish pollinator-friendly habitat

In total, >500,000 acres have been converted to CP42 (>40% of which is in Iowa) [1]

To date, there has been no formal assessment of practice success (i.e., post-seeding forb establishment)

In this study, we assess forb establishment in randomly selected CP42 fields near Cedar Falls, Iowa

We identify forbs with high/low establishment and relate this to seed cost in an effort to improve seed mix design

Floral Resource Availability And Butterfly Community Characteristics In Cp-42 Pollinator Habitat Plantings, Ethan Marburger, Corinne Myers, Mark Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

Prairies once covered approximately 85% of Iowa, but due to extensive habitat loss less than 0.1% of native prairies remain (Smith 1998). Habitat loss in Iowa has been driven by agricultural expansion and intensification, and has resulted in the decline of many native insect pollinators. To curb habitat loss and restore habitat for pollinators, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides private landowners incentives to enroll agricultural land into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Pollinator Habitat (CP-42) practice. The CP-42 conservation practice requires landowners to seed at least 9 species of pollinator friendly wildflowers, legumes, or shrubs on enrolled lands. CP-42 …

Chiropractic Usage Among College Students: An Extended Literature Review, Elizabeth A. Schwenker

Honors Program Theses

Chiropractic medicine is a complementary health approach that focuses on the use of adjustments, mainly to the spine, and is typically sought to reduce pain (Chiropractic: In Depth, 2016). The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a part of the National Institute of Health, found in 2007 that more than 18 million American adults had received a chiropractic adjustment or osteopathic manipulation in the previous year. The NIH recognizes that chiropractic adjustments appear beneficial in reducing low back pain and may be beneficial in treating headaches, neck pain, and a number of other conditions with temporary minor adverse effects …

Native Grass Cover Influences Forb Density In Cp-42 Pollinator Plantings, Alyssa Burgert, Laura Jackson

Undergraduate Student Work

In recent years, pollinator populations have greatly declined due to a large decrease in habitat. In order to combat this decline, government programs have provided farmers with incentives to convert cropland to pollinator habitat.¹ Farmers are required to plant at least 9 insect-pollinated species, with 3 species each blooming in early, middle and late summer. Any grasses must be native and comprise no more than 25% of the seed mix.² Because of the high cost of forb seed and relatively low cost of grasses, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this seed mix strategy. We predicted that …

Rates And Patterns Of Evolution In A Duplicated Genome In The Family Catostomidae, Megann Michelle Schmidt

Honors Program Theses

Whole genome duplication (WGD) is a process in which the entire genome of an organism is duplicated, making redundant genes which are subject to unique evolutionary forces. Various modes of selection create different genetic fates such as retention of ancestral function, development of new function, or loss of function. Because of these differing fates, WGD is hypothesized to be a major driving force behind diversification. In this project, DNA sequences from fish species in the family Catostomidae were examined to observe patterns of evolution following a known WGD. Gene trees were generated for 179 loci to determine the amount of …

Effect Of Extracellular Atp On Cellular Actin Fibrils' Location And Characteristics, Dianna Huisman

Honors Program Theses

Epithelial cells lining secretory units and ducts of bovine mammary glands perform an important role in regulating movement of various macromolecules and whole cells during normal lactation and mastitis. During mastitis, host-and bacteria-produced substances can affect the “barrier” function of epithelial monolayers. One potential component is adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP likely interacts with P2X7, a purinergic receptor, in mediating some effects associated with mastitis including changes in cell permeability. The bovine mammary gland epithelial cell line, Mac-T cells, were examined for cytoskeletal changes as result of P2X7 interactions. Actin cytoskeletons were stained with phalloidin and effects were examined by fluorescent …

Correlation Between Wild Bee Populations And Vegetative Resources In The Conservation Reserve Program’S Pollinator Enhancement Plantings, Olivia Willoughby, Alyssa Burgert, Nathan Theel, Ai Wen

Undergraduate Student Work

Wild bee populations are in decline; and one of the main factors that caused this is habitat loss, which diminishes floral resources that bees utilize for nectar and pollen (Watanabe 2013)

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) aims to combat habitat loss by implementing ecological restorations that provide resources for a variety of different wildlife

In 2011, the CRP established a Pollinator Habitat Initiative called CP-42, which encompasses forbs and grasses to create adequate habitat for pollinators

A primary goal of this program is to enhance pollinator abundance and diversity

Comparison Of Two Levels Of Inpatient Dysphagia Treatment Dosages On Swallowing Outcomes, Paige Licht

Honors Program Theses

Current research reveals great variability in many aspects of service delivery for swallowing rehabilitation, including dosage or intensity of treatment. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the effects of treatment intensity on swallowing rehabilitation outcomes. The purpose of this study is to determine whether two levels of treatment intensity produce different patterns of swallowing recovery for inpatients with neurogenic dysphagia. Blinded analysis of pre- and post-treatment videofluoroscopic measures of swallowing were completed for six inpatients at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago who were previously randomized to one of two dysphagia exercise programs. One arm consisted of traditional 30-minute treatment …

Van Der Waals Interactions In Ultrafine Nanocellulose Aerogels, Byron John Fritch

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this study was to establish methods of synthesizing various compositions of nanocellulose aerogels using a top-down ultrasonication synthesis approach. Quantifying the effect composition has on physical properties was also be of interest due to the lack of scientific literature over this material. Microscopic techniques and physical experiments were used to determine how the internal structure of the aerogel material varies with composition and how the internal structure effects the physical properties. The main driving factor behind this study was that not much current scientific literature can be found about how the ultrasonic process effects the nanocellulose aerogels. …

Prebiotic Potential Of Aerosols, Emma Rae Shipley

Honors Program Theses

A triple quadrupole gas chromatograpy mass spectrometer (GC/MS/QQQ) was used to determine prebiotic molecules of interest in plasma and photochemical aerosols. Glycolic acid was further studied using isotopically doped gases. Plasma and photochemical aerosol analogs were shown to have nucleobases and a few amino acids. Each type of aerosol was also the source of glycolic acid, a precursor to glycine. Using ¹⁸O doped CO, it was determined that contamination was not a source of oxygen in the samples. Using different combinations of ¹³C doped gases in 1:1 combinations of CO and CH₄, it was determined that …

Soil Characteristics Affecting Weed Invasion On Conservation Reserve Program Pollinator Habitats, Jennifer Pauley

Undergraduate Student Work

The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) is a land conservation program administered by the US Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency (FSA) to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and create wildlife habitat.

• The CP-42 program provides cost share and an annual rental payment to farmers in order to establish native prairie species for pollinator habitat.

County NRCS technical staff make recommendations for seed mix to match the dominant soil moisture class in a parcel (e.g. dry, mesic, wet) with the appropriate plant species.

• There has been little to no research prior to the Biology SURP initiative to monitor …

Literature Review: Analyzing The Reasons Behind The Long-Standing Debate Of Evolution And Religion In America, Michelle Kathryn Matchell

Honors Program Theses

Evolution has been a widely studied and debated topic for centuries. Since the days of Greek philosophy, humans have been curious about the diversity of life and how it arose to what we see today. Interest in evolution flourished during the days of Charles Darwin when he and Alfred Russel Wallace developed the concept of natural selection. Now, evolution is an integral part of many scientific studies, especially genetics, developmental biology, geology, behavior studies and social sciences. According to Muhammad Ashraf, evolution can be considered ‘the cornerstone of modern science’ (Ashraf, 2016). On what would have been Darwin’s 201st birthday, …

Does Folic Acid Compete With Glutamic Acid At The Postsynaptic Membrane Nmda Receptor?, Amanda Nicole Koenig

Honors Program Theses

During the first month of a human pregnancy folic acid (FA) is vital to the closing of the neural tube. However, overconsumption of FA has been linked to the rise of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), although this linkage is still under debate and testing. It has been hypothesized that the glutamate (GA) portion of FA may compete for binding to the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) with the neurotransmitter glutamate, causing inhibited growth cone activity. In order to test this hypothesis, we cultured eight-day chick dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and assessed parameters of neural development in the presence of FA, GA, or …